LIBRARY WEEK – Mayor Michael Gonnelli joined the staff of the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center to celebrate National Library Week by reading last week to the youngsters in the Tuesday/Thursday classes of Extended Story Hour. The book he read was “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” (Photo courtesy of the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center.)

Mayor Michael Gonnelli and the Town Council invite residents to a “Mystical Celebration” to benefit the Secaucus Emergency Fund on Sunday, April 28 from 12 to 6 p.m. $5 admission. Guests can look forward to psychic readings, tarot cards for an additional cost, free mini lectures with metaphysical topics, and chakra tune-ups with an energy healer. It will be held at the Secaucus Senior Center located at 1010 Centre Ave.

For directions and further information call (201) 330-2034.

Best Meatball Contest benefits SMA families

The Mary Immaculate Council Knights of Columbus and Daniel Cevallos’s family would like to invite you to the 2nd Annual Best Meatball in Secaucus Contest.

Daniel lost his battle to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) at just over 7 months old. Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a motor neuron disease and is the number one genetic killer of infants under the age of 2 years old with currently no treatment or cure. On Sunday, April 28 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. an event to honor Cevallos’ memory will be held at Immaculate Conception Church Auditorium, 1219 Paterson Plank Road. Tickets are $25 for adults ages 18 and older, children 17 and under are $10. Admission includes all you can eat meatballs, soda, beer and wine.

To purchase tickets or make a donation: www.fsma.org/BestMeatballContest. All proceeds benefit families of SMA.

For questions, contact Giovanni Recalde at (201) 417-2619 or Robert Rivest at (201) 491-8058.

‘Green Summer Festival’ will be May 4

Secaucus’s third annual Green Summer Festival will be Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Secaucus Xchange, 5000 Riverside Station Blvd. There will be a petting zoo, rock climbing, green vendors, bat and raptor show, butterfly exhibit, hot air balloon rides, canoe and kayak rides, food, live music, and much more.

For more information, visit www.secaucusnj.org or call (201) 86-GREEN (201-844-7336).

Tickets are going fast for the ‘Day at Monmouth Racetrack’

Tickets are going fast for the “Day at Monmouth Racetrack” sponsored by The Steven Strobert Foundation to benefit the Secaucus Public Library, according to foundation President Mark Dehnert. The event will take place on Saturday, May 18. Gates will open at 11 a.m. and the first race begins at 12 noon.

“Purchase of a ticket entitles the bearer to admission, trackside seating, BBQ, snacks, beer and soda,” Dehnert said. “The cost per person is $40 for those 21 and over; $20 for ages 12-20; $10 for ages 8-11 and free for those under the age of 8. A bus from Secaucus to and from the racetrack is available for an additional cost of $20 per person. This event, while being a fundraiser for the library, is also just a great day of fun for young and old at the track. I look forward to seeing many Secaucus residents at Monmouth, and I urge them to invite their friends and relatives, too.”

Tickets must be purchased by May 1, according to Dehnert. They are available from the director’s office at the library and from the following: Dehnert (917)-327-0016; Mike Pero, (201)-394-4517; Tony Gerbasio, (201)-725-8027 and Patrick Taylor, (201)-456-9494.

Checks should be made payable to Friends of the Secaucus Public Library.

Eight High Tech students qualify to enter 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program

Director of High Tech High School Dr. Joseph Giammarella announced that eight High Tech juniors have met the qualifications to enter the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program this year.

High Tech is a countywide public high school.

The designation is based on PSAT scores and other factors.

With a Selection Index score of 203 or above, each of these students—Harrison residents Mark Ma and Toshi Piazza; Sam Jacobs of Hoboken; Jersey City resident Jenny Doyle; Maximilian Ashkenazi, Dina-Simran Chotrani, and Eileen Gao of Secaucus; and Weehawken resident Kyra Baker—ranked among the 50,000 highest-scoring participants of some 1.5 million program entrants.

Semifinalists, representing the top scorers in each state, will be the only students who will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for about 8,300 National Merit Scholarships offered in 2014.